News Release: Lake County Offices to Close on Wednesday Due to Extreme Cold

Lake County government offices will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 30 due to extremely cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills set to impact Lake County and the surrounding area. Lake County offices are open Tuesday, Jan. 29

Officials will reconvene on Wednesday to evaluate the status of operations for Thursday, Jan. 31. 

“The safety of our residents and employees is our highest priority,” said Interim Lake County Administrator Amy McEwan. “The county will be open for essential services and emergency operations, but other routine matters will have to wait until we reopen.” 

Wind chills between -45° to -55° and temperatures significantly below zero are expected. Temperatures this cold can cause frostbite to exposed skin in as little as five minutes and can cause other life-threatening situations. The decision to close government buildings comes after a careful evaluation of these dangerous conditions. Ultimately, the safety of community members, employees and jurors outweighs the inconvenience of a minor disruption in services. Closing government offices will keep additional people off the road, hopefully easing the burden on emergency responders who will be working around the clock to keep community members safe during this extreme weather event. 

Resources: 

• Lake County has put together a web page for residents to access information on warming center locations, the County’s snow plow operations, and safety tips.  
• Make sure to follow the National Weather Service for the latest weather updates. In case of an emergency, call 9-1-1.  
• Lake County will continue to post updates throughout the week on its Facebook page and website.